Kuwait takes delivery of its first C-17 from Boeing

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Kuwait takes delivery of its first C-17 from Boeing

WASHINGTON — Kuwait has received its first strategic air transport from the United States.

The Kuwait Air Force has taken formal delivery of its first C-17 from the U.S. firm Boeing. Officials said the C-17 Globemaster-3, transferred on Feb. 13, would be used for both military and civilian operations, including disaster relief.

"The C-17 meets the unique airlift requirements of the Kuwait Air Force," Kuwait Air Force deputy commander Col. Abdullah Al Foudari said.

"With this airlifter we can more effectively participate in the operations we choose, transporting large payloads across long distances, flying at high altitudes in hot climates such as ours, and landing on short, unpaved runways."

Kuwait has become the latest Gulf Cooperation Council to receive C-17. Both Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have been operating the C-17, including during the NATO no-fly zone mission over Libya in 2011.

Executives said Boeing would support Kuwait's new air transport fleet through the C-17 Globemaster-3 Integrated Sustainment Program. The program has encompassed the 260 C-17s for the U.S. Air Force and its allies.

"We will support this C-17 long after today's delivery," Boeing vice president Nan Bouchard said.